HCPSS is required to maintain a mandatory permanent pupil record (“official record”) that includes a student’s legal name and legal gender. According to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the only official school records are Student Records Cards (1-7), transcripts and diplomas. On all documents and records other than those listed in the previous sentence, HCPSS shall use the name and gender preferred by the student with a process for masking. There will be some situations where school staff or administrators are required by law to use or to report a student’s legal name or gender, such as for purposes of standardized testing, but school staff and administrators shall adopt practices to avoid the inadvertent disclosure of such confidential information.
HCPSS has a process by which a student can request to mask a legal name and/or gender assigned at birth. This is different than a student legally changing either field or using a preferred name, but will allow the presenting name and/or gender to show on non-official documents. The presenting name is populated from Synergy into virtual learning platforms. For additional information and/or support, please discuss with a school counselor or school administrator.
Per the 2020 Maryland Student Records System Manual, parents can now choose from three options in the student’s gender field when enrolling:
- Male
- Female
- Nonbinary, student identifies as neither male or female or both
Families of current students who wish to change their child’s gender in the HCPSS system should contact their child’s school counselor. More information is available online.